Fabio Fognini is still refusing to let the situation with Italy’s Davis Cup captain Filippo Volandri go.
Fognini retired from tennis earlier this year, playing his final match against Carlos Alcaraz in the first round of Wimbledon.
There has been a lot of speculation about what the former top 10 player could do next, with speculation about whether Fognini could become a coach.
Despite Italy winning the competition for the last three years, Fognini has recently criticised the Davis Cup and he has now reignited his feud with his nation’s captain.
Fabio Fognini calls out Filippo Volandri again as he reignites feud
Fognini represented Italy in the Davis Cup on numerous occasions, and was part of the team that reached the semifinals in both 2014 and 2022.
However, after dropping out of the top 100, Fognini was not selected by Volandri as part of Italy’s Davis Cup Finals Group Stage squad.
Fognini was not willing to take this setback lying down, and at the time released a lengthy post on X (formerly known as Twitter) expressing his frustration at the situation.
He wrote, “Wearing the blue, feeling the warmth of the public, competing in packed arenas with our fans in tow even on unthinkable away games has always encouraged me to give 110%.
“On Monday, while I was in Genoa, the captain’s call came to me: suddenly I no longer fit into the plans, without justifiable explanations and in ways that I didn’t agree with, disrespectful of my history and my Italian past, because until lastly I was informed that I would be in the squad and available to take to the field and for this reason I decided to train and play the Challenger to the best of my strength to be ready and available.”
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It has been two years since this took place, but Fognini still does not appear to have made up with Volandri.
In a new interview on Italian channel Rai2, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fognini admitted that he was still unsure as to why he was left off the team and said he would never accept the decision.
Fognini went on to reveal that after he retired at Wimbledon earlier this year, he had a brief exchange with Volandri, but was left unimpressed by the lack of congratulations given to him for his career.
“It wasn’t clear to me why I was excluded,” said Fognini. “I didn’t have a discussion with anyone; I think that’s the most ridiculous thing. Being a man requires discussion, even if sometimes with differing opinions. Ask Volandri why; that’s how it went, I didn’t accept it and I never will.”
Fognini added, “On the very day I announced my retirement at Wimbledon, I was at dinner and Volandri was at the next table. He said hello but didn’t have the courage to say anything to me, not even a compliment on my career. He didn’t say anything to me.”
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Although Fognini claimed he wasn’t clear as to why he was left off Italy’s team, this is a different version of events to those that were given by Volandri at the time.
With much speculation on the reason after Fognini’s public complaint at the time, Volandri attempted to clear things up when speaking to ANSA.
“In his latest appearances, Fognini has suffered retirements and physical problems,” Volandri said at the time. “His performance in the last three months did not meet the criteria that, in my opinion, must be met to obtain a call-up to Davis. While I was in New York, I received a phone call from a member of his medical staff who was already telling me that Fabio was in very poor condition.
“Despite the fact that a federal staff was proposed to him, with technicians, athletic trainers and doctors at his disposal, precisely to try to recover him. So, I respected his wishes but he left me no choice, that’s the truth.
“I wish Fabio to return to the levels he belongs to and I continue to thank him for what he has done in the past in the Davis Cup. This is the last time I address this topic publicly; we are on the eve of an important appointment, much more than our personal destinies, so we must all focus on the goal.”
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Fognini did not represent Italy again in the Davis Cup, perhaps making his omission in 2023 even more painful.
This will only be made worse by the fact that Italy have won the Davis Cup for the past three years ever since he was left off the team.
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